Bases for compulsion. Desire. Actions taken in the pursuit of hoped for consequences. These are outcomes of motivation, the reasons behind why you choose to do anything you do. But, before delving into what it takes to motivate others into action in today’s post, I have a question for you:

Thinking for a few moments about whatever you have did yesterday AND WHY – including any meals you chose to eat, tasks you added into your diary, priorities you set, actions you took subsequently in defiance of the latter (maybe because your intentions were thwarted or derailed by distractions), commitments you made to do something else (maybe from meetings attended, calls made, or responses to emails), purchases or financial commitments you made, time you dedicated to doing things with family, friends or just for you…And, I’ll stop there!

Would it be fair to say that your motivations for these things varied quite a bit – where you made some decisions out of rote, with little or no thinking, and others required a deal more brainpower and consideration on your part?

And as a follow up question, can you put your finger on the roles others played in influencing your decisions to do whatever you did or didn’t do?

While I’m not a betting man, I’m willing to wager that these aren’t easy questions to answer…not least because you are motivated by different things in different situations in different ways and at different times.

And here’s the thing – that’s just thinking about you!

Once you add other people into the equation, you can make things monumentally more complicated in a hurry. Right?

Of course, just because the science of motivation is hard to crack and far from exact, you can’t ignore it.

In truth, your ability to motivate others matters is vital in every walk of life and business to get more done. And if you fail to work well with and through others, your productivity is likely to suffer.

And while you’re thinking about that, I have news for you:

The price of admission has gone up when it comes to motivating others.

The combination of a never ending rise and rise in information overload, together with a fall in attention spans (now measured in seconds), and the increasing ineffectiveness of ‘because I said so’ top down management dictates in modern organisations has resulted in today’s leaders needing to hone new skills – skills that must be rooted in an ability to connect with others at an emotional level, to influence them, and to garner and earn their trust.

And what does all that take?

That’s the question addressed into today’s expert interview, when I had the chance to sit down with professional speaker and author Gerry Duffy – a man who once ran 32 marathon in 32 days and is a former winner of the DECA-Iron Distance Triathlon (an event dubbed the ‘The toughest 10 day endurance challenge in the world’).

Lean in to hear his fascinating insights into what it takes to tackle immense challenges and the lessons you can apply from these experiences when you seek to inspire others.

 Are You Pushing The Right Buttons When You Speak?

Listen in as we discuss

• The starting point for motivating others and why it’s simple, but NOT easy
• Why it pays to step back and apply 2 vital steps as you choose a better path
• What you can learn from endurance racing and an old photo of golfing legend Seve Ballesteros
• The power of stretching and a really pleasant side effect
• Why you simply must grab pen and paper or tap on a PC to get things done more often
• How giving others more voice is a catchy plan
• The secret to avoiding overwhelm and frustration before you start
• Wedding bells and minds concentrated
• What Alec Ferguson knew and did and why you should follow his lead
• Why the word “belonging” is so darn important
• A surefire recipe for continuous improvement
• And more

Your Turn

Thinking about what motivates others…what are the top 1 or 2 lessons you’ve acquired about inspiring others into action, either from personal experience and/or observation?

Please share your thoughts, comments, or observations.

And Speaking of Inspiring More Audiences…

I’m delighted to announce that ‘How to Make Powerful Speeches 2nd Edition – A Step-by-Step Guide to Inspiring and Memorable Speeches’ is now available on Amazon: Click Here

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This book will help you to discover how to transform your speech making abilities; helping you to inspire others with your ideas, every time you take to your feet.

Photo Credit: Barney Moss